The Golden age.

Chapter 3

"Don't." Kronos ordered Clay who tried to approach River. "To get close to him you'll need to enter your true form, doing that will draw the attention of a certain shadow Primordial, I can fight alot of people, but not him." Kronos stated dryly.

"Right."Clay mumbled. "Can you at least get River, since I can't!"

Kronos shrugged." I could, but I'm not going to."

"Why not!" Clay hissed.

"He needs to learn control, only he can teach himself that." Kronos kept his gaze on his nephew.

"Get control River, if you don't you could kill everyone you care about, Me, Clay, your mother." Kronos yelled coldly, Rivers power faltered slightly as he struggled to contain it. "Imagine it, boy, the look of fear on her face as she's about to be incinerated by you!"

"Dad!" Clay yelled in protest. "That's not helping!"

"I know what I'm doing boy!" Kronos snapped. "Don't dare to ever assume otherwise!"

"Uncle, I-!" Rivers pained cry rang throughout the valley they were in.

"GET CONTROL!" Kronos pushed him harder.

"Dad, his power is going to kill him, and by chaos above you aren't helping!" Clay exploded into his true form throwing his father back, he tried to move closer to River but found himself unable to, Clay glared at Kronos who had frozen him in time, something he didn't know how to counter.

"Trust me." Kronos pointed to River who had stopped radiating pure devine power.

"He did it!" Clay sighed in relif. "All that power...."

"His potential is concerning, almost frightening." Kronos sighed. "He's only going to grow stronger with age."

"Your curse." Clay realised. "You're scared that if River is this powerful at eight years old, that the other gods will be even stronger."

"The king of Othrys is not afraid of mere children!"

"Sure you aren't." Clay grumbled as he slung his cousin over his shoulder, he was sleeping, exhausted from trying to contain his power. Suppressing power was easy to do, containing to be able to suppress it again however was much harder, as you had to actually focus on pulling that power back into you after you let it out in the shape of your true form.

"I'm taking him back to Othrys, I'm assuming you'll train him after he wakes up?"

"After seeing his potential, definitely."
Kronos nodded. "I'm going to train you as well so be ready." was all he said as he waved Clay off dismissively.

"I enjoyed spending time with you too dad." Clay grumbled as he flashed away, Kronos heard him of course, he just didn't acknowledge it. He was taking a big gamble by even talking to his son, Kronos couldn't see far into his sons future, not past sixteen, usually this means that a being is not going to live past that point, could his death be caused by Kronos because Clay turns on him, either that or Chronos doesn't want him to see his son's future.

What isn't he being told..

___________

Clay woke up in a dark place, he stiffened as he figured out where he was, Tartarus, he had never been before but every immortal knew subconsciously what Tartarus looked like, his face was illuminated by the river of fire, the plegathon churned past him smelling like something Clay didn't know of, he hadn't smelled any thing similar to compare it to.

"River?" Clay groaned, his head felt like Atlas had smashed the shaft of his spear into it, and he knew what that felt like from experience, believe it or not but the Titan of strength could hit hard, Clay slowly pushed himself up from the flesh of Tartarus, the ground? Clay shuddered at the thought, harpies screeched overhead, a promise of death. He needed to find River, they were taken from Othrys by Erebus, he staggered over glass shards to the River of fire, the Phlegethon, cupping some orange fire water, yum, into his hands, he felt weak, drained, mortal. He sipped the fire knowing from Iapetus who was an underworldly being that it wouldn't kill him, it was what the dead who Iapetus judged himself drank when they were sentenced to Tartarus for torment, it gave them the strength to endure the horrors of Tartaus until they completed their journey to where they would be tormented, the fire wasn't hot, not like he thought it would be, though he guessed that was a bad thing, it was probably so hot his body couldn't comprehend it. He felt a small burst of energy but nothing that would allow him to escape Tartarus, he needed to find a secret passage or a door somewhere that he and River  could use to escape. Monsters eyed him from every direction, Clay knew this, he could sense them, hundres and thousands of them waiting to eat him alive, he concentrated and was Suprised when he felt a familiar weight in his hand, he looked down at his gleaming scythe, setting it aflame to light the place up enough for him to see what was infront of him.  A hellhound could be seen in the corner of clays eyes, he whirled around faster than his father ever could and decapitated it as it pounced, it's body burned for a few minutes until it was gone, a fine golden Ash.  A familiar presense made him feel better about the situation.

"Hades?" Clay asked bewildered. Why was his brother here?

"Why are yo-"

"Grab hold, now!" Hades said urgently. "Iapetus has River, he's safe in the Underworld." Clay sighed in relief as he grabbed hold of his brothers hand, together they dissolved into darkness, little did they know, Clay wouldn't be going anywhere for a long, long time. Iapetus found Hades in the Underworld, but no clay, Hades was unconscious by the looks of it he had been attacked.

"Will be be okay?" River asked, he was shaking badly, he had been found in Tartarus by Iapetus being cooked Alive by a cyclops, he had nasty burns that would take a while to heal but other than those he was fine physically, mentally however would be a different story. 

"He'll be fine."Iapetus muttered." He's just got a few scratches."

"But where's Clay?" River asked as he shook, his dark midnight blue eyes were wildly searching the Underworld for threats, despite him being safe.

"In the worst place in Tartarus for immortals." Iapetus frowned as he summoned his spear. "The stygian swamp." he guessed, but he wasn't sure on why the boy had been taken there.

"We're leaving." Iapetus said urgently as he sensed Clay's life aura weaken

"But Clay!" River objected.

"Is immortal, if he dies he'll reform in a few centuries." Iapetus shrugged, he looked at the look of determination etched onto the young gods face and sighed. "Look, once we get back we'll inform Kronos, we'll search for him, if we find him alive, then great, if we don't wel have to wait for him to reform."

"I'm going to look for him." River decided firmly. "He's my cousin, I'm not leaving him to die." Iapetus groaned, of course he got stuck with the stubborn hero type, he then smiled as he realised that River and his daughter Selina were similar in that aspect, both were friends with Clay, both would do stupid things just to make sure he was safe, he also supposed that he had the same relationship with Kronos, as did all of his other brothers, they'd do the same thing if it meant little brother Kronos would be safe. Iapetus sighed yet again when he realised that he wouldn't get anywhere fast with arguing he picked up River and hoisted him over his shoulder, he did the same to the unconscious Hades and shadow traveled away.

Kronos was going to flip when he found out about this. Iapetus frowned at the thought, now scared for his safety.

-----------------------------------------------------------

End of chapter 3.